Steep Hills and Big Views

I grew up in a walking family. As a child, Sunday afternoons in autumn and winter were spent in woods, up hills, on the downs, on beaches or marshes...we walked, and in most weathers. (Summer weekends were dictated by high tide and often spent sailing.) My parents still love to "get out" at the weekend and for them, a sunny day without a walk would be unbearable. I enjoyed these walks as a child, and resented them as a teenager. How I hated to be told that fresh air was good for me! In my twenties, I spent my weekends working, sleeping, shopping, going to the cinema, going out, seeing friends. Normal things that you do when you don't have children. My early thirties involved babies, toddlers, slings and buggies, a husband who worked most weekends, and no energy for any big walks. A trip to the park was about the furthest we'd go. 

But now, I find that I not only like, but I need a good walk at the weekend. Saturday or Sunday, I don't mind, but I feel that same need to "get out", to breathe fresh air, to make my leg muscles and heart work harder, to see some surroundings other than my house. In fact, if I don't get out, I feel quite fed up. Fresh air and exercise - excellent things for combating the winter blues. John is game, and a good walker. The kids are tricky. Bella never wants to go, but then once she's out she can walk for miles. Angus always wants to go and runs back and forth like a puppy for the first mile, then flags and whines all the way back to the car at the end. I insist they go because, since we now have to drive to school every day, I think the exercise is good for them, for all of us. We went for a big walk with my sister and her family today. Her girls (four and six) can walk! My sister said "That's because we've dragged them out every weekend since they were tiny." She carried a bag of bananas and nuts for energy. My pockets were full of biscuits, mini cream eggs and half a bar of fruit and nut. The kids wanted my snacks. A small victory, but one I'll take.

We are walking much more since moving back down south for two reasons. One, everything is fresh and exciting; we are discovering new scenery, new places, walks that will become favourites. Two, my family know where to go. They know which walk is good for a short stroll or a long hike, how to get there, the best route, where to park, if there's a cafe. Now I know I can go to the beach whenever I want I am falling back in love with the beautiful South Downs. The terrain here is softer, more rolling, than the rugged, rock-scattered Yorkshire Dales. 

Today we visited Harting Down, a walk I remember from my childhood, with amazing views over the picture-postcard village of South Harting. We walked up to the top of Beacon Hill, an incline so steep it has steps cut into it. My thighs were burning and I was completely, embarrassingly, out of breath at the top. I had to stop and have a moment. The kids were hardly even panting. But it was so worth it for the view.

That's the sea you can just about see glimmering in the distance.

Are you a walker? Do you feel the need to get out in the fresh air at the weekend and march around the nearest hill or beach, swinging your arms, taking deep breaths? Or does a gentler stroll give you the same benefits and energy boost? And, more importantly, do you think it makes you feel better?

Embracing January

Oh, wow, you lovely lot - thank you for your generous words about my blanket. When I saw it through your eyes I loved it a little bit more. I think we just need a break, blanket and I, and will be fine once we've spent some time apart. 

I am still remembering to notice and photograph one good thing a day about January and so far am finding there is much to celebrate. My photographs seem to involve either being outside buffeted by the wind or inside hiding from it. Well, that's January for you.

8/31: Empty, blustery beaches and the beautiful feeling of openness and space. Blue skies have been seldom in this wet and windy month and they are always a cause for a mini, silent celebration in my book.

9/31: A cup of tea and a new book. I'm one chapter in. So far so good. Do you like my new mug? It was a Christmas present from John. 

10/31: The beach, again, but on a more overcast day. Big winds and spray coming off the waves, the upside to the end of a January gale. It's so invigorating to be by the water in (mildly - I don't want to get swept away!) stormy weather. This beach is usually quite calm and so it was exciting to see some surf. There was even one lone surfer in the water! I hope none of you have been badly affected by the crazy wind, rain and snow we've had this week.

11/31: A roast chicken dinner on Sunday after a long walk in the woods, cooked by John, followed by sticky toffee pudding, also cooked by John. We are paying rent in cooking. 

12/31: The feeling of brand new pyjamas at the end of (another) cold, wet and windy day.

13/31: Hunkering down by my parent's wood burning stove and just enjoying the cosiness of it all. 

14/31: A run on Wednesday morning. It was bitingly cold but really bright and sunny and I went for my first run in months with my sister. I was surprised by how good it felt. Cold, dry weather is my favourite kind to run in, and this was exhilarating. I'd forgotten how good I feel after a run, how clear my head is. I went again this morning. Everything hurts now, that goes without saying, but in a satisfying way.

Enjoy your weekend everyone. I don't know what we have planned. Everything depends on the weather. It's very unusual to get snow this far south, and so close to the coast, but there might be sleet on Sunday apparently. I've nearly finished a scarf but I am faffing about whether it's long enough or not, and whether to add a fringe or not. It's a nice kind of dilemma to have. 

Finally, A Blanket!

Well, it only took seventeen months and thirty balls of yarn, but it's finally finished. It feels like it's been a really long journey. Do all blankets feel this exhausting to plan and make, or is it just me?

Here is it laid out on our bed in the spare room at my parents' house. 

 It began with squishy balls of wool...

...which became little circles-with-circles...

 ...until they became squares. I then spent an inordinate amount of time arranging them in various piles and patterns and photographing them.

Once the required number of squares (225) had been reached, they were arranged...

...sorted and labelled...

...joined in sections of 25...

...blocked...

...and then joined again until I had one large and VERY heavy blanket.

Honestly, all that thought and planning just to make a crocheted blanket look pleasingly random...the irony is not lost on me, I can tell you.

I had originally thought that it would go in our bedroom and wanted it to be big enough for our king size bed. It is just, just, big enough, but I think I'll probably end up keeping it on the back of the sofa throughout winter, as a throw. 

 Here it is on the back of Mum's sofa. (Yes, it is the same as ours. We bought ours first. Just saying.)

I do like it, very much, but at the moment I just think that I'm a bit sick of looking at it. I have worried continually that some of the colours are too dark, but I think overall it's ok. John really likes it, which is good and makes me feel happy. I can't wait to put it on our own sofa in our own house. 

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Notes:

The yarn is Rowan Pure Wool DK worked on a 4 mm hook. In total I used about 30 x 50 g balls of yarn, although not all were finished up. There were sixteen different colours and the rest was cream and some black for the border. It measures 163 cm or 64 inches square and weighs 1.5 kg. (It has some serious heft to it, which I rather like. It's incredibly warm and it was such a pleasure working on it on cold days.) I joined the squares by crocheting them together on the wrong side, and the pattern is from Granny Squares by Susan Pinner although I did deviate from it slightly for the joining part.

Spindrift

Spindrift: the spray that is blown from the top of a breaking wave in high winds.

It was wild down at the beach today. We were swaddled in layers and braced ourselves, heads down, as we walked into the howling wind. Then we went back to the beach hut to drink the thermos of hot chocolate and eat some cake. 

I still can't quite believe that we live here and that we get to do things like this at the weekend. 

Embracing January

Back in the final days of December, in the midst of the move, I decided to find a strategy to get me through January. I do not usually enjoy this month and so in the interests of good mental health and a more positive attitude to winter, I resolved to try to embrace January and all it's associated wintryness. Every day I find one good thing to notice and celebrate. Finding good things is easy if you're looking for them. If I have my big camera, I take a photo on that. If not, I always have my phone on me. And this blog gives me somewhere to record and share my finds.

So, here are my daily doses of January goodness, from the first seven days of the month.

1/31: Eating my cranberry chutney with some post-Christmas Camembert and crusty bread, and feeling thankful for fridges full of good food that linger into the new year.

2/31:  A beautiful winter's sunrise and dry weather for moving day.

3/31: After the rain, seeing blue sky and trees reflected in the puddles.

4/31: A long, cosy, delicious lunch with my friend Abigail and her family on Sunday in Horsham. It was a bitterly cold and foggy day and we stayed inside for as long as the children would let us. I also rather liked these building facades. Horsham is very pretty.

5/31: Porridge for breakfast on a chilly, grey morning, with demerara sugar and sultanas. (This prompted a fun exchange of favourite porridge toppings on instagram. I'll list them at the bottom - there are some inspiring and delicious ideas in there.)

 6/31: A new calendar for a new year.

7/31: Working the final rows on my crocheted blanket provided not only warmth but also much needed colour on the greyest of days.

What are your strategies for coping with January, or do you enjoy this month? I'm discovering that there's a lot to love about the slower winter months if you look closely enough.

Thanks for all your good wishes for the house hunting. We've looked at eight properties this week and are going back for a second viewing on one tomorrow which looks promising. Nosing round people's houses is fascinating! My main observations so far are that people are messy, and that if you have two cats and two dogs and a guinea pig in the living room, your house will smell of animals.

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Ideas for toppings on porridge/oatmeal:

• Honey with sultanas/wheatbran/banana.
• Maple syrup and dates.
• Banana and coconut.
• Golden syrup with banana/sultanas/blueberries.
• Grated apple and Greek yogurt.
• Stewed or sliced apple and demerara sugar.
• Pears with a dusting of cinnamon.
• Peanut butter and sliced banana.
• A spoonful of mincemeat - a very Christmassy topping.
• Homemade blueberry syrup. 
• Maple syrup with cinnamon and cream. Decadent! 

Something sweet combined with something fruity seems to be the theme here. Someone also suggested grating apple and pear into the pan and cooking it with the porridge. My mum does the same with dried apricots, cranberries and other fruits in her porridge, so that they swell up as they absorb water during the cooking process. But if I had to choose one topping above all others, a generous spoonful of golden syrup would always be first. Happy porridge eating!

All Change

People say that moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do. I don't know that I found it especially stressful - thankfully, our moving process seemed fairly straightforward and trouble free compared to some stories I hear - but my word it was exhausting. After spending Christmas with my family, John and I left the kids with my parents and returned to Leeds to finish the packing. We took advantage of every child free moment and saw friends, said goodbyes, and packed like demons. A memorable high point was spending New Year's Eve drinking cocktails with good friends (lifers, I like to think of them) and realising with a jolt that it was 3.15 am and probably time to go home. The hungover packing on New Years Day was a definite low, but we got through it. We also missed Bella and Angus like mad. At around 4 pm each afternoon I would stop whatever it was I was doing and start aimlessly pacing, thinking "I should be doing something!". I am programmed to live by their schedule. 

Their absence just added to the strangeness of those last days. The house was much too quiet, but it was right that they weren't there, as they would've been very bored and fed up, and under everyone's feet. So when, on Friday lunchtime, the removal team closed the lorry doors and drove off, I didn't feel particularly sad or sentimental. I just found it all very, very surreal. John and I had one last look around, one last check that everything was locked or switched off, every cupboard emptied. I said a quiet mental Thank You to the house, for looking after us and for all those good years, and then we left. It's another family's home now, and I hope they'll be as happy as we were. 

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We are staying with my parents for now, until we find somewhere to buy. They very kindly suggested we move in, to save us having to rent. Most of our things are in storage, apart from the essentials like clothes, toys, fabric and yarn. Their house - which is my childhood home - is welcoming, accommodating and flexible, and we are all getting along just fine at the moment. We also have six viewings lined up for this week.

I've been thinking a lot about what I'll miss about Leeds. The people, my friends. Our amazing local school, the five minute walk to shops, doctors and library, the wonderful array of local takeaways and Indian restaurants. Further out I will miss The Dales, the bookshop at Saltaire and a few other random places but nothing I can't fix with a visit back up north. I miss funny odd things about our house like the internal double doors, the bountiful natural light, the feeling of safety, seeing our bits and bobs all over the place. Mainly I miss homemaking. I miss pottering and faffing, doing those little day to day things that make domestic tasks so pleasurable. I miss my stuff.

But this phase is a temporary one. The kids started their new school today and, although it's early days, seemed to take to it with remarkable equanimity. I'm constantly amazed by their ability to adapt, to go with the flow. This has been huge change for them, but they are embracing it. I am excited by all the new places there are for us to visit and discover, all those new things to do, to see, to experience. 

Thank you all for your warm wishes and words of encouragement for our move. It really means a lot.